Aberdeen, looking to end a horrific 10-game winless run in the Scottish Premiership, are set to welcome Hearts to the Pittodrie Stadium on Sunday afternoon.
The hosts are fourth in the table with 34 points from 21 games, while the visitors are 11th in the standings with 23 points from their first 22 outings.
Match preview
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After making a remarkable start to the 2024-25 season, Aberdeen's fortunes have taken a drastic turn for the worse in recent weeks, resulting in them gradually slipping down the table.
The Dons, under the guidance of new boss Jimmy Thelin, who joined in the summer of 2024, remained undefeated in their opening 16 matches across all competitions, securing 15 wins and just one draw.
Thelin eventually suffered his first defeat when Aberdeen were humiliated 6-0 by Celtic in the Scottish League Cup semi-final, and while they initially bounced back with a 4-1 win against Dundee, that loss marked the start of a dismal run.
Aberdeen have subsequently failed to win any of their last 10 outings, with the Dons facing seven defeats in that time, including losses in all of their past five matches heading into this one.
Those results have seen Aberdeen fall from being joint on 31 points with Celtic at the top of the standings after 11 league matches to fourth in the table with 34 points from 21 games, a staggering 22 points behind the Bhoys.
With those below them also making up ground on the Dons, who now hold just an eight-point lead over seventh-placed Dundee, Thelin will be desperate for his side to turn around their form to strengthen their place in the top half of the table.
However, their opponents, Hearts, will be coming into this encounter with plenty of confidence after enjoying a significantly improved run of performances and results in recent weeks.
The Jambos initially started the campaign without a win in their opening 10 matches across all competitions, recording eight losses and two draws in that time, including being consigned to the Conference League after being defeated by Viktoria Plzen in the Europa League playoff round.
That spell also led to the dismissal of former manager Steven Naismith, with Liam Fox stepping in temporarily and overseeing one win, one draw and one loss before Neil Critchley was appointed as the permanent manager.
Critchley enjoyed a sensational start to life at Hearts, beating St Mirren 4-0 in his debut match and adding two wins and a draw in the next four games, but that was followed by a run of four straight defeats.
A 1-1 draw with Aberdeen broke that spell, and they have enjoyed a significantly improved run in the subsequent games, with the Jambos now heading into this one having won four, drawn three and lost three of their last 10.
As a result, Hearts have climbed closer to safety in the Scottish Premiership, now trailing 10th-placed Ross County by just two points, while a win here could see them move as high as seventh depending on results elsewhere.
Team News
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Aberdeen are set to be without the services of Jack Milne (ankle), Pape Habib Gueye (muscle) and Vicente Besuijen for this match due to injury, while Slobodan Rubezic is also unavailable after receiving a red card in their previous outing against Motherwell.
Elsewhere, Gavin Molloy, Dimitar Mitov and Ester Sokler are all also doubtful to feature due to ongoing injury issues, leaving Ross Doohan and Kevin Nisbet likely to keep their places in the starting team.
As for Hearts, Gerald Taylor (knee), Stephen Kingsley (hamstring), Calem Nieuwenhof (hamstring), Frankie Kent (muscle), Lawrence Shankland (calf) and Zander Clark are all set to miss out with injury.
Seventeen-year-old James Wilson has been a revelation for Hearts this season, scoring four goals in 10 appearances in the league, and the striker is set to continue in attack here.
The remainder of the team that has defeated both Motherwell and Dundee United in their last two outings is also likely to be named by Critchley once again for this match.
Aberdeen possible starting lineup:
Doohan; Devlin, MacDonald, Molloy, MacKenzie; Palaversa, Nilsen, Shinnie; Keskinen, Nisbet, Duk
Hearts possible starting lineup:
Gordon; Forrester, Halkett, Rowles, Penrice; Devlin, Grant; Drammeh, Boyce, Spittal; Wilson
We say: Aberdeen 1-2 Hearts
Aberdeen are enduring a dismal run of results heading into this one, while the visitors will be high on confidence after winning each of their last two matches, leading us to believe Hearts will win again here.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Ellis Stevens
